Urgent message from Orlando ER Physician to anyone thinking of driving down to Central Florida for Pesach...

While we typically love the influx of 20k+ Jews to the Orlando area to celebrate Pesach, please know this is currently a horrible idea. Many people think central florida is solely a tourist town and has a small population and a large health care system. We have a population of over 8 million people in Central Florida.

While we have great hospitals, we are already admitting CoVid patients to the ICUs, and some of them are suprisingly young (just like in Washington State and NYC). While your governor in NYC has started the process of stock piling medical supplies such as ventilators, and has pushed the federal government to help out, ours seems to be a bit behind the 8 ball. Please keep in mind if you come down here in the thousands to celebrate pesach together, like it seems you are planning to do, you will overrun our already stretched health care system and we will not be able to take care of you.

WE HAVE ALSO NOT YET HIT THE SURGE YOU HAVE HIT IN NYC. THIS WILL LIKELY HAPPEN IN THE NEXT 7-10 DAYS. YOU WILL BE COMING HERE AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME JUST AS WE START TO GET SLAMMED WITH SICKER AND SICKER PATIENTS.

This will also become a situation of "those jews who couldnt listen" aka a huge chillul Hashem.

Do what the rest of us are doing and stay home.

I also urge all Rebbeim to issue a psak to their communites that members not travel for Pesach. You will all end up in FL and some of you will die and any deaths related to the running out of beds or ventilators will be on you to answer to HKBK

Something being legally ok does not make it halachickally or morally ok.

Morally? I know two people that went and rented large private villas. They are coming from 2 bedroom Brooklyn apartments and couldnt do it anymore, one with 5 children and one with three . They are fully quarantined (separately) in a private house, and brought food. how does that affect anyone ? You sound jealous.

Something being legally ok does not make it halachickally or morally ok.

Every situation is unique but when things that could be halachically and morally ok are not legal, whats a human trying to survive gonna do. Im happy for those, myself included, that bH have what it takes to survive the lockdown physically and emotionally, so far.. but judging others is more often than not halachically and morally wrong. Live and let live

Morally? I know two people that went and rented large private villas. They are coming from 2 bedroom Brooklyn apartments and couldnt do it anymore, one with 5 children and one with three . They are fully quarantined (separately) in a private house, and brought food. how does that affect anyone ? You sound jealous.

How did they get there ? Flying would mean infecting everyone on the plane and they cant possibly drive for so long without stopping at rest areas to use the bathroom...